Sand-ejecting means for deep-well pumps



Patented .luly 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES APATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. ADAMS, OF LOS ANGELIS, CALIFORNIA., ASSIGN'OR TO.U JOSEPH G. RICH- ARDSON, OF LOS ANGELIS, CALIFORNIA.

SAND-EJECTING MEANS FOR DEEP-WELL PUMPS.

Application filed August 27, 1924. Serial No. 734,405.

To all rwho-m it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, EDWARD T. ADAMS,

-acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sand- Ejecting Means for Deep-fell Pumps, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to deep well pumps, and pertains more particularly to means for ejecting sand from the pump.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a deep well pump which will not tend to become sanded. It will be understood, in the consideration of this invention, that in hollow plunger and bucket valve types of pumps there is provided a stationary pump barrel and a working barrel or plunger reciprocal lin same. The lower end of the pump barrel is provided with a ball check, generally referred to as the standing valve, and operating as a suction valve. The plunger, which is tubular and a working fit in the barrel, is provided with an upwardly opening valve known as the discharge valve.

When pumps of this type are in operation, the upstroke of the plunger accomplishes displacement of oil then existing above the working valve, and incidentally oil is drawn upward through the standing valve during the same stroke. During this upstroke, the maximum discharge pressure exists above the plunger, and a reduced pressure exists below. It is because of this pressure difference that the usual slip or leak occurs, oil flowing downward through Lthe Working clearance between the barrel' and plunger into the space immediately above the standing valve. This oil, of course, always carries a 'certain percentage of silt, or sand, as it is generally referred to. Such sand having found its way into that space immediately above the standing valve tends to become lodged there, and eventually linterferes with the action of the valve, and at times even prevents the plunger from reaching the end of its down stroke.

It is this condition which it is the object of this invention to eliminate. A pump having become sanded up can be again put into operation only by removing .it from the well and cleaning it or by more or less problematical washing methods.` Since leakages must occur because ofthe necessary workseparate largely from the oil which leaks by the plunger. Y

Another and important object of this invention is to provide means whereby sand so separated from the oil will be subsequently eject-ed to points where it will not again tend to settle about the standing valve.

Another object of this invention is to reduce the usual loss or slip while permitting of using a reasonable clearance between the working parts. It will beapparent that by providing ample clearance, to-` gether with means for reducin the slip, there will be created a pump whlch will be equally as efficient after'considerable use as when originally installed.

Another object of this invention is to provide a pump of the above mentioned y character in which the tendency of extremely ne silt to reach the standing valve by leakage is greatly reduced.

Still another object is to provide for carrying out the objects mentioned without reducing the effective plunger area. e

Still other objects and advantages of my invention will appear hereinafter and will be better understood by virtue of. the order of their occurrence.

I have illustrated by the accompanying drawings one practical embodiment of my invention.

In the said drawings,

Figure 1 is a view in vertical section of the said embodiment;

Figure 2 is a view in section seen on a line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in section seen on a line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a view in section seen on a line-4 4 of Figure 1.

The embodiment illustrated in some respects very closely resembles the -oldfashioned single acting oil well pum in that there is provided a tubular .pump arrel 5 and a tubular working barrel or plunger 6, the 'latter being a normal running lit within the pump barrel.

To the upper .end of the plunger there is attached a working valve ca 7 providing an annularl valve seat 8 on w ich the work- V designated in the drawings by the letter B and this space is subject at all times to the full hydrostatic pressure ofthe lluid'column reaching to the surface. The interior space of the tubular plunger is designated by the letter C, and being below the suction valve is subject during the down stroke of the pump to the maximum pressure just mentioned, while during the upstroke it is subject only to pressure equal to the normal oil `level in the well. The bore A of the wellv and the space A immediately below the standing ball valve 15 are subject to the last mentioned pressure only.k

Ball 15 rests upon an' annular seat 18 which is carried at the lower end of the pump barrel, and, asin usual pumps, this ball when seated eii'ectively closes the lower end of the pump against any downward flow of fluid from `the space C. It will be apparent from the foregoing that recipro# this pump, the operation in a general way cation of the plunger within the barrel will produce the pumping action common to single acti ng hollow plunger oil well pumps.

A salient feature of this invention resides in the provision of an annulary coaxial wall 16 forming a part of the pump barrel and extending from the lower end ofV the barrel` upwardly into the bore C of the tubularplunger. This wall encompasses a central fluid course Cvwhich is always in direct communication with the space C. The arrangement of the annular wall provides an annular spaceE in which `the plunger is a running lit, the lower portion of the space E being always unoccupied by the l'annular plunger. Space E is hereinafter referred to as the sand trap.

The construction shown for the pump barrel provides the lower annular portion 18 of appreciable thickness, and through -this there are drilled a plurality of holes 19 pene-` trating the lower end' of portion 17 and prof vidin an outlet from the space E. These drille holes, or sand outlets, are counterbored or enlarged, as at 20, to provide valve seats 21 and to house .a spring 122 and a bushing 23. A ball 24 isprovided in Aeach counterbore and is held upon its seat by the tension of the spring.

The parts just mentioned provide in eli'ect of downwardly opening check a lurality va ves whlch permit of oil and sand being ejected downwardly from space E while being cheeked from returning toA space E.

In assemblin a bushing ball and spring, the spring shou d be compressed a predetermined de ee in order that the ball will not be move from its seat until the pressure dil'erence 'between the luid above and below it is at least equal to the pressure difference between the pressure in B and the pressure in A. The reason for this is apparent from the following:

Considering the pump as a whole and assuming that the working valve is tight, it will be seen that by virtue of the construetion shown and described, fluid `cannot slip or leak from B to C except b passing downward through along reduce ,-'clearance space to space E and thence upward again through an equally long reduced clearance space to the space C. During the up stroke of the pump, as well as during the down stroke of the pump, the pressure in B will always be considerabl above that in A and A', and, therefore, if t e ball check is not subject to any considerable spring tension, oil, having reached E from B, would escape into space A. In such case, the intention of the inner annular wall as a means-for increasing resistance t0 leakage would be defeated.

Therefore, by setting the sand outlet valves under the compression mentioned fluid will not tend to leak from B to E to A.

In order to fully explain the operation of will be explained first, and subsequently the operation of the pump and the sand ejectin means under three specific practical conditions will be considered. The Iirst one of the vpractical conditions to be considered is that in which during the up strokeof the Vplunger the effective volume of space E inthan the volume of E increases', -with the re' sult that during the up stroke of the pump the pressure in E will be substantially a compromise between the pressure in B and the pressure in C.

Considering the pump generally, in .its

operation, it will `be seen that during the, down stroke the pressure in B and C `willlbe the maximum dischargeI pressure, the pressure in A and A remaining substantiallyconstant at all times whether the pump isV operating or not. In so far as leakage isconcerned, the difference between the pressure. in Band A need not considered, because roo nga

ofthe fact that the check valves are set under sufficient compression to resistllow from E to A', even were the ressure in E as high as it is at any time in Therefore, it wlll be'seen that during the down stroke of the pump there is no tendency for leakage through 'the clearances between the relatively reclprocating parts.

During the up stroke of the pump, some fluid will find its way into space E. This fluid will contain silt or sand, provided it is peculiar to the Well, and while the sand may be readily washed down from B to E, it is quite apt to settle in E rather than to again be carrled through the clearance from E to Regardless of the amount of fluid and sand which may find its way into E during the up stroke, it will be apparent that during the next down stroke of the plunger the space E will be so decreased in volume that the sand and oil' occupying space E will be displaced. It is true. that a slight pressure in excess of the pressure of the oil in B will be re uired to open the check valves and eject t e sand, but obviously the weight and inertia of the reciprocating parts is sufficient to accomplish this. In fact, the slight amount of energy7 required at the end of the down stroke of the plunger to eject the sand and leakage will act as an excellent cushion for said reciprocating parts.

Now that the general operation of the pump has been described, it will be assumed `that the pump is operating under the first mentioned of the above conditions. Under this condition, E will not be completely filled with oil at the end of the up stroke and, therefore, the pressure of the contents of E will be negligible and there might even be a tendency durin the up stroke for fluid to be drawn from into E, but there would be no objection to this and only a slight loss of energy. Now, since the pressure in E during the up stroke under the condition being assumed cannot be greater than C, certainly there can be no leakage. In this case, it may be said of this pump thatwhile a certain amount of slippage may occur, that slippage does not reach the space between the working valve and the standing valve and, therefore, cannot carry sand or silt into the space C or to the standing valve, and'any sand or oil which may get so far as E will be ejected downward from thepump into the well where it can do no harm.

Under the second of the above mentioned conditions, space E will lill as rapidly las it is during the upstroke vof the plunger, but the effect will be no diierent than in the first instance.

V- Now, asto the third operating condition:

The up stroke of the plunger will find space" E filling as rapidly as it is formed, and the pressure of the Afluid in space Econstantly increasing until it attains a pressure about midway between the pressure then existin in B and the pressure then existing in The result is that Huid will tend to flow from E upward through the reduced clearance to C. This is the most unfavorable operating condition to which this pump can be sub-l ject, but, of course, slippage is common to all pumps and it may be said in favor of this pump that even under unfavorable operating conditions the length of the reduced clearance through which the oil has to travel before it can get from space B to space C is at least twice as great as it is in other types of single acting pumps.

The fact remains, however, that even with such leakage in the third instance there will always be the same tendency for sand to be ejected through the check valves before it can reach spaces C and C.

It will be apparent now that by the addition of an inner annular wall and a plurality of check valves to an otherwise common type of pump, I have provided for carrying out the above objects. While I have shown and described a specific arrangement of valves and annular walls for carrying out my invention, I do not limit `myself to any speciiic arrangement, except as determined by the appendedA claims.

I claim as my invention:

-1. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate space and an inner Huid course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled member, in said space, valves coacting withthe aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces lflow through said Huid course, and a port leading from the annular space downwardly to points below and externally of the pump.

' 2. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate space and an inner fluid" course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled member in said space, valves coacting with the aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces How through said fluid course, and a port leading from the lowermost part of the unoccupied portion of said annular space to points externally of the annular space.

3. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate space and an inner fluid course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled member in said space, valves coacting with the aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces liow through said fluid course, and a port leading from-the lowermost unoccupied portion of the annular space to points below and externally of the pump.

4. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate space and an inner Huid course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled member in said space, valves coacting with the aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces flow through said fluid course, and a port leading from the lowermost unoccupied portion of the annular space to points below the lowermost of the valves.

5. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate space and an inner fluid course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled memberin said space, valves coacting with the aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces flow through said fluid course, and a port leading fromY the annular space downwardly to points below and externally of the pump, and non-return valvular means controlling said port.

6. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate space and an inner fluid course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled member in said space, valves coacting with the aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces flow through said fluid course, a port leading from the lowermost part of the unoccupied portion of said annular space to points externally of the annular space, and non-return valvular means controlling said port.

7. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate 'space and an inner fluid course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled member in said space, valves coacting with the aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces flow through said fluid course, a port leadingl from the lowermost unoccupied portion 'of the annular space to points below and externally of rthe pump, and non-return valvular means controlling said Dort.

8. In a pump, a double-concentric-walled member providing an annular intermediate space and an inner. fluid course, a single walled member reciprocal relative to the double walled member in said space, valves coacting with the aforementioned members so that relative reciprocation produces flow through said fluid course, a port leading from the lowermost unoccupied portion of the annular space to points below the lowermost of the valves, and non-return valvular means controlling said port.

9. In a pump, a pump cylinder, a tubular plunger reciprocal in said cylinder, a bottom closure wall to said cylinder, a standing tube rising from said closure and extending into said plunger, a suction valve through which oil is drawn into the bore of the standing tube by upward movement of sald plunger, and a port leading from the lower portion of the. annular space between the cylinder and tube vdownwardly and through said closure to points bevlow and externally of the pump and the suction valve.

l0. In a pump, a cylinder, a smaller concentric inner tube, means connecting the tube and cylinder adjacent the lower end to provide an annular space open at the upper end and substantially closed at the lower end, an annular plunger member reciprocal in said annular space, and means -whereby sand and the like settling in the lowermost unoccupied portion of the annular space will be ejected therefrom by reciprocation of plunger.

11. In a pump, a pump cylinder, a tubular plunger reciprocal in said cylinder, a bottom closure wall to said cylinder, a standing tube rising from said closure and extending into said plunger, a suction valve through which oil is drawn into the bore of the standing tube by upward movement of said plunger, a port leading from the lower portion of the annular space between the cylinder and tube, downwardly through said closure to points below and externally of the pump and the suction valve, and downwardly opening non-return means controlling said port.

12. In a pump, a pump cylinder, a tubular plunger reciprocal in said cylinder, a bottom closure wall to said cylinder, a standing tube rising from said closure and ex- 'lar plunger reciprocal 1n said cylinder, a

bottom closure wall to said cylinder, a standing tube rising from said closure and extending into said plunger, a suction valve through which oil is drawn into the bore of the standing tube by upward movement of said plunger, a port leading from the lower portionl of the annular space between the cylinder and tube' downwardly and through said closure to points below and externally of the pump and the suction valve, and a spring pressedwalve controlling said port arranged to ,prevent r'eturnof fluid through said port; said valve being adjusted tovreslst being opened by any normal pressure which exists in the' sa'id annular space during upward movement of the plunger.

I v EDWARD T. ADAMS.

tending into said plunger, a suction valve 

